Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to an arrangement of a side door on a body of a motor vehicle.
Arrangements of side doors on corresponding bodies of motor vehicles, in particular personal motor vehicles, are known from the series construction of motor vehicles, wherein the respective side door is arranged in the transverse direction of the vehicle with at least regional overlapping with a side sill of the body that extends at least substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, with respect to a closed position of the side door, in which a door opening corresponding to the side door is closed.
It has been shown that, in such conventional arrangements of side doors on corresponding bodies, when there is an application of force on the side door, caused by an accident, which force at least substantially runs in the transverse direction of the vehicle and acts on the side door from the outside in, can lead to the side door being “pushed over” the side sill if no corresponding countermeasures are taken.
In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, in such an arrangement of a side door on a body of a motor vehicle, in particular a personal motor vehicle, the side door is held to the body in the transverse direction of the vehicle with at least regional overlapping with a side sill of the body, with respect to a closed position of the side door, in which a door opening corresponding to the side door is closed. In other words, the side door is arranged with at least regional overlapping with the side sill with respect to the transverse direction of the vehicle, at least when the side door is closed. Here, the side door, in particular a door part of the side door, overlaps the side sill at least regionally on the surface with respect to the transverse direction of the vehicle.
According to the invention, the side door is provided with at least one reinforcing element, via which the side door, in particular in the overlap region, can be supported on the side sill when there is an application of force on the side sill, caused by an accident, which force at least substantially runs in the transverse direction of the vehicle and acts on the side door from the outside in. If this application of force caused by an accident occurs as portrayed, for example as a result of a side impact of a barrier or vehicle on the side door, the side door can be supported on the side sill, in particular via a door part of the side door and the reinforcing element. The side door, in particular its door part, is thus not pushed at all, or not pushed to an undesirable distance away, inwardly in the transverse direction of the vehicle via the side sill and thus does not penetrate the passenger space of the motor vehicle to an undesirable extent. A very good level of side impact protection is thus achieved, whereby vehicle passengers can be protected from serious injuries.
In particular when there is a so-called pole impact, wherein a pole strikes the side door from the outside as a barrier, this leads to the application of force portrayed, which is usually caused by an accident and at least substantially acts in the transverse direction of the vehicle from the outside onto the side door. When there is side impact the reinforcing element to be supported on the side sill preferably extends at least substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, in particular on an entry flange of the side sill, and for it is wedged on the side sill.
Provision is furthermore preferably made for, when there is side impact, the reinforcing element to be screwed in around an axis of rotation that runs at least substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and for it to thus be supported particularly advantageously on the side sill and to be wedged on the side sill. Thus, the door being “pushed over”, i.e. there being an undesirably deep penetration into the passenger space, can be avoided and a passenger sitting close to the side door can be protected from serious injuries.
It is thus possible to embody relatively large radii of the side door in order to be able to produce the side door in a timely and cost-effective manner. This is then particularly advantageous if the side door is formed at least substantially from a light metal, in particular from aluminium or from a light metal alloy (aluminium alloy). In this case, the side door comprises an inner door part formed at least substantially from the light metal or light metal alloy (aluminium or aluminium alloy), which can be formed with the relatively large radii described above.
Furthermore, as a result of the support of the side door or inner door part provided by the reinforcing element, during the application of force caused by an accident, it is possible to keep the overlap of the side door with the side sill particularly small. This creates an additional degree of freedom and thus a higher level of flexibility for the configuration of the side door. In this respect, the desired design can be implemented without interfering with the technical properties, in particular the security properties. At the same time, the portrayed advantageous accident performance of the side door can be implemented.
Further advantages, features and details of the invention arise from the description of a preferred exemplary embodiment below, as well as with the aid of the figure.
The features and combinations of features cited above, as well as the features and combinations of features specified in the description of the figures and/or in the figures alone below, can be used not only in the combination specified in each case, but also in other combinations or on their own without exceeding the scope of the invention.